Writing Contests, Grants & Awards

The Writing Contests, Grants & Awards database includes details about the creative writing contests—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, and more—that we’ve published in Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it. Ours is the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.

A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a poem. Marge Piercy will judge. Submit up to five poems totaling no more than seven pages with a $15 entry fee by January 2, 2017. Visit the website for complete...

Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication by Willow Books are given annually for a poetry collection and a book of fiction or creative nonfiction by writers of color. Using the online submission system,...

A prize of $5,000 is given annually for a first novel published during the previous year. The winner and the winner's agent will also receive lodging and travel expenses to attend the First Novelist...

Publication by University of Iowa Press is given annually for an essay collection. Meghan Daum will judge. Submit a manuscript of 40,000 to 90,000 words with a $10 entry fee by December 10. Visit the...

A prize of $3,000 and publication by Tupelo Press is given annually for a poetry collection. The winner also receives a weeklong residency at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art valued at $1,500...